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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Nurse Amanda's first dirty money -- her own

Portland's ill-conceived "clean money" campaign finance system -- in which the taxpayers financed meaningless amateur campaigns by several City Council candidates -- will be formally laid to rest this week, several months after the long-delayed public vote on the program killed it. Emilie Boyles, Jesse Cornett, Streetcar Smith, John Branam -- "voter-owned elections" just got dopier and dopier.

The demise of another quixotic Stennism means there will be no tax money for Amanda Fritz, who's up for re-election next year. Fritz got two rounds of "clean money," losing once and winning on a rerun, and she kept telling us that there's no way she could have been elected without it, because she just couldn't handle the time commitment required by campaign fundraising. But now she'll have to try. And she's reportedly starting by throwing $25,000 of her own money into the pot. Given how much she seems to be enjoying the limelight, it seems like a good investment for her and her doctor spouse.

So far, we haven't heard of anyone challenging for the seats held by Fritz and Randy Leonard, who's also up next year, and so it may not take more than a few thousand for either of them to hold onto their thrones. The mayor, on the other hand, is probably going to be looking for work a year from now, no matter how much money he raises and spends.

Comments (8)

Re: "The demise of another quixotic Stennism"

But Sten cannot be blamed for the obsolete, ineffective, expensive form of governance with which the residents of Portland are burdened. We need a representative democracy with professional management of city services. The recently concluded experiment in public funding of candidates was premature and hopelessly flawed.

Too bad there doesn't seem to be anyone on the horizon to beat Randy Leonard at this time. Isn't it about time someone gave that guy a serious run; and exposed all the crappy, wasteful things he's done while in office?

I'm sure there are lots of good people who, if they could be persuaded to run, could give Fireman Randy a serious run, and exposing all the crappy stuff he's done would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

But it'll never happen; the voters of PDX Cloud Cuckoo Land have made it clear over the years that they don't want serious, fiscally responsible politicians. What they want is anyone, no matter how nutty and irresponsible, who'll make all the correct far-left noises. Give 'em a kook like that, and they'll vote for him/her, literally in droves. Portland gets the government they deserve, I guess.

Unless someone can run to the left of Adams, he will be reelected in a run off. There are far too many apathetic and ill informed voters in this city. I think the city is around the bend already.

Can you see it now? He will paint himself as the victim of a hostile media and the vast right wing conspiracy (although there is nothing vast about the right in this town) and the homophobic voters of the city.

He will again appeal to the college voters and the creative class. He will blame the failure of his first administration not on himself, but on the damned voters, and the bad economy not giving him more money to spend.

Nothing is ever his fault, and this city will hand him the reins once more. I hope I am off base, but we kept Vera around forever, and it will be the same base keeping Sam around. I lack our host's optimism.

Just what Portland needs: another adolescent in office. This kid's 19, and he's running for mayor. You might think he couldn't possibly be any worse than our current creep, but he's volunteered for many political campaigns, including campaigns for John Kitzhaber, Jim Francesconi, Ted Kulongoski and Bill Clinton. He also wants to reestablish public campaign financing and improve Portland’s infrastructure through more efficient spending.

Should Brady become mayor, she'll be only one vote. Far better would be for her to enlist two other solid candidates to take on the two incumbents. A slate would allow a relatively unknown but excellent candidate to tap into campaign funds. And a slate would be in a position to campaign on a platform that has a chance to be put into place. One new face can't assure any significant change.